Summer Fun

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As the summer comes to a close, I find myself continually asking my kids what they want to do before the school year starts again.  After much contemplation, we came up with a list that was agreed upon by all parties, which is not typically an easy thing to accomplish!  Some of the things on their list include going to the Minnesota Zoo (where we have a family membership, so there is almost a feeling of guilt about needing to get there as often as possible), visiting some of the local parks, visiting cousins who live nearby and taking that one last camping trip before the summer is over.  I’m really happy with the things that they’ve chosen, as they’re all activities where the kids truly are active and running around, which is something that is always promoted as a big positive in our home.

We started making our way through their list this past week, starting on Monday with a visit to the Minnesota Zoo.  Due to the fact that the temperatures were hanging in the 90’s and the humidity was providing a sweltering boost to the temperature, we decided to only hit up a couple different indoor exhibits where there may be a hint of air conditioning.  We went through the Minnesota Trail as well as the Tropical Trail, and boy oh boy did the kids have a wonderful time!

While on the Minnesota Trail, we got to stop by and see the coyotes during their lunch time, the wolf den and the bald eagle.  While some of these animals are ones that we see at home, the kids still had a really great time!

We enjoyed the Tropical Trail as well, naming several of the characters from “The Lion King” and taking our photos in the monkey display.  

Claire has a special love for otters, so she really enjoyed this display, though I think we all could have done without the smell!

With a few hours at the zoo under our belts, we decided that it was time to head back home, as the heat was seemingly too much for us after awhile.  We will likely head back there during a weekend next month when the temperatures are more reasonable and when Monte can join us as well!

We’ve also accomplished seeing some cousins, as we headed to my sister, Tanya’s, home on Tuesday for a fun day of swimming, playing Apples to Apples, baking cookies and playing Wii.  Due to some severe weather that was headed our way, we ended up staying later than I anticipated, as we didn’t want to be travelling in the midst of the storms, but it was time very much enjoyed and I wasn’t at all bothered that we were there longer than planned!

What’s left on our list?  We have a couple of favorite parks to visit and a camping trip to plan and it’s been my promise that we will accomplish all of it before my kids have to go back to school.  I can’t wait for these fun activities!  What’s on your agenda before school starts?

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